RJ: family manages to rebury woman who had body swapped in hospital

After days of great anguish, family members managed to bury Rosa Maria Marinho Medrado, 70 years old, this Sunday morning (31), at the Nossa Senhora do Pilar Municipal Cemetery, in Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense. She had her body exchanged with that of another woman with the same name in a municipal hospital and was buried by another family, by mistake.

The new burial was only possible after, on Saturday (30), the Court authorized the exhumation of the body, which had been buried by the family of Rosa Maria da Conceição Eloi, aged 44, on Thursday (28), in the Cemetery of Belford Roxo, also in Baixada.

Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the presence of a papilloscopist was necessary to recognize Medrado using fingerprints.

The confusion was only discovered after the elderly woman's family went to the José Moreira da Silva Pre-Hospital Unit and was informed that Medrado's body was no longer there. She died on Wednesday (27), due to complications from cancer.

Eloi, on the other hand, died the day before, after suffering heart problems and septic shock. Her body was recognized by her husband and son on Thursday morning. However, family members did not see the body in the coffin, as it was closed during the funeral ceremony. Due to a possible error by the hospital, Rosa Maria Marinho was buried in Eloi's place.

“My mother passed away at 1:20 in the morning. I arrived at the hospital around two o'clock and went to recognize my mother's body, I asked to see my mother's body. When I entered the room, there were two bodies. One on the left and one on the right. My mother was there on the left. I recognized my mother's body and left the hospital to resolve other issues. When I returned, around 11 am, to release the body, the employee told me that there was no body there”, explained Rosa Medrado's son, Bruno Marinho.

Rosa Eloi's family should bury the correct body this Tuesday (2), at the Solidão Belford Roxo Cemetery.

The case is being investigated by the Campos Elísios Police Station (60th DP). The two families gave statements and claimed that the health unit exchanged the bodies. According to the Civil Police, the case was registered as an atypical event. Investigations are ongoing.

The two families intend to take legal action against the city council. “Someone has to pay for this, this can no longer happen to any family member. A pain that only we know about…”, Bruno said.

A CNN contacted Caxias City Hall, which informed that the management of the health unit has been providing psychological support to the families involved. An internal investigation was opened to investigate the entire process of releasing and identifying deaths in the unit, so that, once the occurrence of any errors on the part of its employees were confirmed, they could be held responsible.

“The City of Duque de Caxias reaffirms that it does not condone irresponsible practices and conduct in the health units of the municipal network and deeply regrets what happened, especially at such a sensitive time, of pain and sadness for family members”, states the note.